US5748805A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for supplementing significant portions of a document selected without document image decoding with retrieved information
Assignee: Xerox Corp
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Filing: 1994-07-11
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Granted: 1998-05-05
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Expires: 2014-07-11
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for applying morphological image criteria that identify image units in an undecoded document image having significant information content, and for retrieving related data that supplements the document either from elsewhere within the document or a source external to the document. The retrieved data can result from character code recognition or template matching of the identified significant image units, or the retrieved data can result directly from an analysis of the morphological image characteristics of the identified significant image units. A reading machine can allow a user to browse and select documents or segments thereof, and to obtain interactive retrieval of documents and supplemental data.
Inventors
- 👤 M. Margaret Withgott
- 👤 William Newman
- 👤 Steven C. Bagley
- 👤 Daniel P. Huttenlocher
- 👤 Ronald M. Kaplan
- 👤 Todd A. Cass
- 👤 Per-Kristian Halvorsen
- 👤 John Seely Brown
- 👤 Martin Kay
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:28
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F40/00; G06F40/20; G06F40/268; G06F40/10; G06F40/166; G06F40/169; G06F40/30; G06F40/40; G06F40/55; G06V; G06V30/00; G06V30/10; G06V30/14; G06V30/1444; G06V30/40; G06V30/41; G06V30/416
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for electronically processing an electronic document image, comprising: segmenting the document image into word units without decoding the document image, each word unit corresponding to a word in said document image; identifying significant ones of said word units in accordance with at least one selected morphological image characteristic of said word units without determining their content other than said at least one selected morphological image characteristic; and retrieving supplemental data related to the identified significant word units.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for electronically processing an electronic document image, comprising: segmenting the document image into word units without decoding the document image, each word unit corresponding to a word in said document image; identifying significant ones of said word units in accordance with at least one selected morphological image characteristic of said word units without determining their content other than said at least one selected morphological image characteristic; and retrieving supplemental data related to the identified significant word units.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of identifying significant word units includes a step of classifying said word units according to frequency of occurrence.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of identifying significant word units includes a step of classifying said word units according to location within the document image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one selected morphological image characteristic includes image characteristics defining word units having predetermined linguistic criteria.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one selected morphological image characteristic includes at least one of a word unit shape dimension, font, typeface, number of ascender elements, number of descender elements, pixel density, pixel cross-sectional characteristic, the location of word units with respect to neighboring word units, vertical position, horizontal inter-image unit spacing, and contour characteristic of said word units.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of identifying significant word units comprises identifying word units having an associated hand-drawn marking created by a user.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of retrieving supplemental data comprises retrieving foreign language data corresponding to said identified significant word units.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of retrieving supplemental data comprises retrieving data from within the document.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of retrieving supplemental data comprises retrieving data external to the document.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the document image with retrieved data to provide a document annotation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the document annotation is in the form of marginal notes which are located in a margin of said modified document image.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of retrieving supplemental data retrieves Braille versions of the identified significant word units.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 12 further comprising outputting said retrieved Braille versions of the identified significant word units in printed form.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of retrieving supplemental data for the document comprises retrieving synthesized speech versions of the identified significant word units.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
94 words
A method for translating a selected word in a text document, comprising: marking the selected word in the document text with a hand-drawn graphical notation; scanning the text document to produce an undecoded scanned document image; segmenting the document image into image segments without decoding of the document image; evaluating the morphological image characteristics of the scanned document image to identify said graphical notation; identifying the image unit associated with said identified graphical notation; retrieving translation data related to said identified image unit; and incorporating said retrieved translation data in said scanned document image.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
94 words
A method for translating a selected word in a text document, comprising: marking the selected word in the document text with a hand-drawn graphical notation; scanning the text document to produce an undecoded scanned document image; segmenting the document image into image segments without decoding of the document image; evaluating the morphological image characteristics of the scanned document image to identify said graphical notation; identifying the image unit associated with said identified graphical notation; retrieving translation data related to said identified image unit; and incorporating said retrieved translation data in said scanned document image.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said retrieving step includes decoding the identified image unit and matching the decoded image unit with decoded data entries in a dictionary database.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
93 words
A method for electronically processing an undecoded document image containing word text, comprising: segmenting the document image into word image units without decoding the document image, each word image unit corresponding to a word in said document image; evaluating selected word image units according to at least one morphological image characteristic of the selected word image units without determining their content other than said at least one morphological image characteristic to identify significant word image units; retrieving supplemental data related to the identified significant word image units; and outputting said retrieved supplemental data.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
93 words
A method for electronically processing an undecoded document image containing word text, comprising: segmenting the document image into word image units without decoding the document image, each word image unit corresponding to a word in said document image; evaluating selected word image units according to at least one morphological image characteristic of the selected word image units without determining their content other than said at least one morphological image characteristic to identify significant word image units; retrieving supplemental data related to the identified significant word image units; and outputting said retrieved supplemental data.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
109 words
An apparatus for retrieving data to supplement a document, comprising: means for inputting the document to produce an undecoded document image; means for segmenting the document image into word units having undecoded information content without decoding the document image, each word unit corresponding to a word in said document image; means for evaluating selected word units according to at least one morphological image characteristic of said selected word units, without determining their content other than said at least one morphological image characteristic, to identify significant word units; means for retrieving supplemental data related to the identified significant word units; and an output device which utilizes the retrieved supplemental data.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
109 words
An apparatus for retrieving data to supplement a document, comprising: means for inputting the document to produce an undecoded document image; means for segmenting the document image into word units having undecoded information content without decoding the document image, each word unit corresponding to a word in said document image; means for evaluating selected word units according to at least one morphological image characteristic of said selected word units, without determining their content other than said at least one morphological image characteristic, to identify significant word units; means for retrieving supplemental data related to the identified significant word units; and an output device which utilizes the retrieved supplemental data.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said means for segmenting the document image, said means for identifying significant word units, and said means for retrieving supplemental data comprise a programmed digital computer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for inputting the document comprises a bitmap workstation.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said retrieved supplemental data is translation data.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of retrieving supplemental data comprises retrieving data from an online database.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said output device is a Braille printer for producing document copies in Braille format.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said output device is a speech synthesizer for producing synthesized speech output corresponding to said identified significant word units.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
139 words
An apparatus for retrieving data to supplement a document, comprising: a copier machine having a scanner for inputting the document to produce an undecoded document image; means for segmenting the document image into word units having undecoded information content without decoding the document image, each word unit corresponding to a word in said document image; means for evaluating selected word units according to at least one morphological image characteristic of said selected word units, without determining their content other than said at least one morphological image characteristic, to identify significant word units; means for retrieving supplemental data related to the identified significant word units; said copier machine including an output device for producing printed documents; and means for incorporating said retrieved supplemental data into the document image for printing as part of a printed document by said output device.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
139 words
An apparatus for retrieving data to supplement a document, comprising: a copier machine having a scanner for inputting the document to produce an undecoded document image; means for segmenting the document image into word units having undecoded information content without decoding the document image, each word unit corresponding to a word in said document image; means for evaluating selected word units according to at least one morphological image characteristic of said selected word units, without determining their content other than said at least one morphological image characteristic, to identify significant word units; means for retrieving supplemental data related to the identified significant word units; said copier machine including an output device for producing printed documents; and means for incorporating said retrieved supplemental data into the document image for printing as part of a printed document by said output device.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
129 words
An apparatus for retrieving data to supplement a document, comprising: a Braille reading machine including a means for inputting the document to produce an undecoded document image; means for segmenting the document image into word units having undecoded information content without decoding the document image, each word unit corresponding to a word in said document image; means for evaluating selected word units according to at least one morphological image characteristic of said selected word units, without determining their content other than said at least one morphological image characteristic, to identify significant word units; means for retrieving supplemental data related to the identified significant word units; and said Braille reading machine including an output device which utilizes the retrieved supplemental data to produce an output intelligible to a blind user.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
129 words
An apparatus for retrieving data to supplement a document, comprising: a Braille reading machine including a means for inputting the document to produce an undecoded document image; means for segmenting the document image into word units having undecoded information content without decoding the document image, each word unit corresponding to a word in said document image; means for evaluating selected word units according to at least one morphological image characteristic of said selected word units, without determining their content other than said at least one morphological image characteristic, to identify significant word units; means for retrieving supplemental data related to the identified significant word units; and said Braille reading machine including an output device which utilizes the retrieved supplemental data to produce an output intelligible to a blind user.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising printing said retrieved supplemental data with a copier machine.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 27, wherein, prior to performing said segmenting step, said electronic document image is input to said copier machine.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 28, wherein said electronic document image is input with a scanner of said copier machine.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 15, wherein said text document is scanned using a scanner of a copier machine.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 30, further comprising printing the scanned document image incorporating said retrieved translation data with a printing device of said copier machine.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-05-04 | 2001-11-03 | 2002-05-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-05-04 | 2005-11-03 | 2006-05-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-05-04 | 2009-11-03 | 2010-05-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |